Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1887-07-27
TURNING BACK.
The Cattle Drive Over the Ma
tional Cattle Trail Given
up This Year.
Reasons Why Southern Owners
Have Decided to Make the
Retreat to the South.
RIGHT ABOUT FACE (,

RIGHT ABOUT FACE,
The Texas Trail 10 be Abandoned-Impor
tant Decision OF the Cow Men-vital Rea.
sons for their ndous Loss.
es.
Denver Col. Telegram: Cattlemen
who now have their herds going north
on the great cattle trail have decided
upon move which will prove senss.
tional news to cattlemen throughout
the west. 1t is an agreement among
the owners to face-about the $4,000
head now on the trail and drive them
back to Texas. The reason for so doine
is because there Is absolutely no mar.
ket for the cattle. and to turn the herds
back is the only solution of the diff.
Guilty into which the cattle owners
find themselves involved.
The meeting at which this conclu.
sion was arrived at was held last
night In the rooms of the Cattle Grow.
ers' Association.
This action Is a most important one,
inasmuch as it practically removes
from existence forever the long used
cattle trail for the transportation of
cattle. Such decision, fraught with
such vital results, was only made af.
ter 1t became apparep that no remedy
could be depended upon.
In the spring these cattle, aggregat.
Ing 10000 head, were started from @
tract Of country extending 200 miles
south Of Fort Worth, with Montan
and Dakota as objective points. As
in former years, the markets for the
cattle were to be found. Montana was
thought to be promising field fol
the disposition of the stock, ss the
storms of the previous winter were
thought to have SO decimated cattle
as TO make them scarce.
In Wyoming the marke, was not SO
promising, and in Colorado it was
thought home raising would interiors
with sales. Regarding Montana a,
the most desirable point, the desire oI
the COW men in the vicinity of Fort
Worth WAS to get as many cattle a.
possible into the country before the
cold weather, so little over one-third
of the total number of head was start
ed rs soon as the vegetation began ic
appear and they reached Wyoming
with the result as 10 above stated.
The cause of the trouble lies princi.
pally In the exaggerated nature Of the
Information affecting the stock market
After the herds had started the fact
became known that Wyoming want.
ed no cattle whatever, and besides
was hostile, owing to the rumored ex-
istence of Texss fever. Colorado had
q sufficient Lumber to supply her own
demand, whilst Montana and Dakots
instead of furnishing for beef, had
plenty of steers of their own.
For fourteen years have the cattle
men used that trail to the northern
markets, and, without u seasons in
terrup:ion, many millions OF dollars
worth Of cattle have traversed IL
length. The trail begins about 20
miles south of Fort Worth, or rathe
In the center of the state of Texas, an,
takes a straight line to Wyoming, en-
tering Colorado near West La
Animas.
From this point IL traverses eastern
Colorado on line with Hugo, al,
then northward. The trail vas es
tablished in 1864 by the cattle men o
Texas, to furnish beef to the United
States government for the use Of tn
army. 1t became from the start
paying business, and for several year
$50 per cent. profit on every steer wa
considered fair return for the dam
ages incurred.
Last year the number of cattl
driven over the trail was 100000 head
whilst this year the number up to tr
prest time Is but 10000 head, whicl
have now been turned back int
Texas.
Mr.. Theodore Ives, a prominen
cattle man near Fort Worth, nov
temporarily in the city, was interro
gated AZ to TIE effect of the action of tn
COW men in turning back the cattle
In reply he said that 1t would be dis
astrous. Continuing, he said: "Th'
men whose cattle are on the trail hat
their every cent invested, and they
looked 10 the sales to pay ths season
expenses.
mot only that, but many OF them
owed the banks for money borrowed
with the expectation Of returning II
when these cattle had been disposed
of. The failure to get the cattle to q
market will have the effect of putting
about s., ,OOO, 900 worth of her beef back